Method of and apparatus for annealing glassware



Feb. 13, 1934. H. l.. EASTMAN METHOD OYF AND APPARATUS FOR ANNEALINGGLASSWARE Filed Feb. l1, 1932 ZZlo egys Q m. Q\ mlbw m1 .i w @y u I Il mw Al l( J l l i inl. m Q w E.. l l In .hwl E y L! llll lOl i In n.

MM MN Patented Feb. 13, 1934 UNITED STATES RIETHOD OF AND APPARATUS FORANN EALING GLASSWARE Harold L. Eastman, Hartford, Conn., assignor toHartford-Empire Company, Hartford, Conn., a corporation of DelawareApplication February 11, 1932. Serial No. 592,340

2 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of and apparatus for the annealing ofglassware, and particularly to a method of and apparatus for annealingglassware wherein it is desired to effect accurate control of thetemperature gradient of the ware adjacent to the entrance end of anannealing lehr in order to precondition it and bring it to the desiredtemperature for subsequent annealing.

Among the objects of my present invention is the provision of a methodand apparatus in glassware annealing for controlling the `temperature ina zone of a glass annealing lehr adjacent to the ware-entering endthereof, whereby these temperatures may be made such as to supply heatto or abstract heat from ware entering the lehr, and particularlyto'adapt such method and apparatus to use with a minimum change indesign of combustion heated lehrs.

A further and more specific object of my invention is to provide inconnection with4 a glassware annealing lehr, a longitudinally extendingflue adjacent to the forward or ware-receiving end thereof andpreferably located in the roof of the tunnel, in which flue there is `atleast one zone through which heated gases or cooling air may beconducted alternatively, according as it is desired, to heat or coolglassware entering the lehr.

More particularly it is desired in connection with the attainment ofthis object that the temperature gradient in this flue be always upwardalong the path of movement of the ware.

A further object of the invention is to provide in a combustion heatedglass annealing lehr, a muffle flue in heat transferring relation withthe ware in the tunnel to which heated gases are supplied at a pointspaced from the ware-entering end of the lehr and in connection withwhich means are provided for controlling the tempera.

ture gradient in separate but adjacent zones of the flue between theware-entering end of the tunnel and the point of supply of heatedggasesthereto, in order to provide a controlled temperature gradient in thisflue and in the tunnel in response thereto.

Further objects and advantages of my present invention will becomeapparent from a reading of the following specification and sub-joinedclaims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, in which:

Figure 1 is a somewhat diagrammatic central vertical sectional viewthrough a lehr embodying my invention; and

Fig. 2 is a fragmentary view, similar to Fig. 1, showing the left-handend thereof on an enlarged scale.

In the accompanying drawing there is shownv a lehr comprising a tunnel 1built up of a plurality of independent sections 2 forming a tunnellining, these sections being of cast iron or other suitable material andbeing secured together in any desired manner. The tunnel lining is shownsurrounded by suitable pulverulent heat insulating material 3 askieselguhr or the like, the whole being surrounded and confined by asuitable casing 4 which may be of sheet metal. As shown, the tunnel l isanchored at its left-hand endas seen in the drawing, the ware-receivingend, by being secured at such end to suitable supports, the remainder ofthe tunnel being permitted to expand freely from this end and beingsupported for this purpose upon wheels 5 resting upon rails 6 which aresupported upon suitable standards 7.

Ware is conveyed through the tunnel 1 by an slack take-up device 10 andthence forwardly beneath the tunnel, passingover a plurality of spacedrollers 11 suitably mounted upon the supports 7. At the forward end ofthe tunnel, the conveyor 8 passes around the rolls 12 and 13. Theconveyor is preferably of open work metallic construction, as forexample woven Wire.

Means are provided for controlling the temperatures in the tunnel frombeneath, including a re box generally indicated at 14 into which a flameis projected from a suitable burner, as the burner 15, to which gas oroil is conducted through a pipe 16 controlled by a valve 17 or othersuitable means. The products of combustion in the fire box 14 arepreferably diluted in order to reduce and regulate their temperature tothe desired point prior to their entry into the ue or flues 18, whichpass longitudinally beneath the tunnel 1 and have as their top wall thefloor of the tunnel. Such diluted air is preferably admitted to the firebox 14 through a damper controlled opening 19 (the damper not beingshown in the accompanying drawing). The flue or flues 18 communicatethrough saddle pipes, indicated in dotted lines at 20 (Fig. 1), with awind box 21 communicating with an exhaust fan 22 which is driven by asuitable means, as the motor 23, so that the flue or flues 18 are alwaysat sub-atmospheric pressure due to the continuousl action of the fan 22.Means are provided for controlling the temperature gradient in the flueor flues 18, comprising a plurality of spaced air inlet openings 24 eachcontrolled by a damper 25, so that the desired amount of atmospheric airmay be drawn into the ue or flues 18 at intervals along its length forthe purpose of diluting or cooling the gases therein and therebycontrolling the temperature gradient in the flue or nues 18 and hence incorresponding portions of the tunnel 1. Ihe end of the flue or nues 18adjacent to the exit end of the lehr communicates with the atmospherethrough an inlet passage 26 similar to the passages 24 and controlled bya damper 27, so that cooling air may be drawn into the ue or fiues 18 atthis point, passed forwardly to the saddle pipes 20 and thence beingremoved through the wind box 21 by the fan 22.

In the latter or cooling portion of the tunnel there are also providedin the roof one or more longitudinally extending cooling flues 28communieating with the atmosphere at the exit end of the tunnel, asindicated at 29, and provided with a plurality of dampered take-offpassages 30 communicating with a take-off conduit 31 which extendslongitudinally of the lehr and communicates with the wind box 21 and theexhaust fan 22. Thus, it will be seen that atmospheric air in thedesired amount can be drawn in a direction countercurrent to themovement of the ware, but in heat transferring relation therewith,through the flue or nues 28, suiicient air being withdrawn at intervalsto control the temperature gradient in the flue or ues 28 and thuscontrol the temperature gradient of the ware in corresponding portionsof the tunnel 1. The cooling flue or flues 28 terminate at a stop 32(Fig. 1) All the structure thus far described is disclosed intheMulholland Patent 1,560,481 granted Nov. 3, 1925 and per se forms nopart of my present invention.

As indicated in the accompanying drawing, there are one or more flues 33which extend longitudinally along the roof of the tunnel in prolongationof the flue or flues 28, but which do not communicate therewith due tothe stop 32. Intermediate the ends of the flues 33 is a re box 34communicating therewith through a passage 35. The fire box 34 isprovided with a burner opening 36 into which is directed a uid fuelburner (not shown). Means including a dampered air inlet opening 37 (thedamper not being illustrated) are provided for diluting and cooling to adesired degree the products of combustion in the re box 34 prior totheir being supplied to the flue or fiues 33. In this way gases of thedesired temperature may be supplied from the fire box 34 to the flue orues 33.

The end or ends of the ue or fiues 33 toward the rear end of the tunneland adjacent to the stop 32 communicate through an outlet passage 38with the longitudinal take-off conduit 31, the amount of gasespassing-from the fire box 34 along the flue or lues 33 in this directionbeing controlled by a damper 39 in the take-off passage 38.

Between the connection 35 and the forward or ware-entering end of thetunnel the flue or ues 33 are provided with a plurality (here shown astwo) of passages 40 communicating with the flue or ues 33 at their lowerends and with a takeolf conduit 41 at their upper ends. The conduit 41communicates through a suitable connecting passage 42 with the take-olfconduit 31, which in turn communicates with the wind box 21 and the fan22.

As illustrated there are provided in the flue or flues 33 intermediatethe connection 35 of the re box 34 and the nearest of the take-off ducts40, a damper 43 to control the amount of heated gases from the fire box34 passing forwardly along the flue or flues 33. Each of the passages 40with the exception of the one nearest the entrance end of the lehr isprovided with a suitable damper 44, and the take-off duct 41 is providedwith a suitable damper 45 adjacent to its communication with the passage40 nearest the ware-entering end of the lehr, so that desirable amountsof the products of combustion from the fire box 34 and passing forwardlymay be withdrawn at intervals, whereby to control the temperaturegradient in the forward end of the lehr. The paths of these gases areshown bythe full line arrows, and as shown a part of them pass outthrough the passage 40 intermediate the fire box 34 and the forward endof the lehr and another part pass through the duct 40 adjacent to theforward end of the lehr. These proportions are controllable by adjustingthe positions of dampers 44 and 45. In this way it is possible toprovide a controlled increasing temperature gradient along the path ofmovement of the ware adjacent to the entrance end of the tunnel.

In order that ware arriving at the lehr at temperatures higher than thatdesired for annealing may be suitably cooled to the desired temperature,I provide for the passage of cooling air in heat transferring relationwith the ware through a predetermined rone adjacent to the ware-enteringend of the lehr. For this purpose the duct 41 is open at its forward endto the atmosphere, as illustrated at 46, this opening being controlledby a suitable damper 47. Thus by closing the dampers 43 and 45 andopening the dampers 47 and 44 to the desired extent, cooling air maypass into the flue or flues 33 through the pas-sage 40 adjacent to theforward or ware-receiving'end of the lehr and pass out from these fluesinto the take-off duct 41 through any of the other passages 40 undercontrol of the dampers 44. As shown in the accompanying drawing, onlyone of these intermediate passages 40 is illustrated, but it will beunderstood that as many as desired may be provided. The path of thecooling air is shown by the dotted line arrows in the accompanyingdrawing, although the position of the dampers as shown in this drawingis such that no cooling air would pass. Furthermore, if a plurality ofducts 40 were provided intermediate the ware-entering end of the lehrand the fire box 34, controllable proportions of this cooling air couldbe withdrawn through these several ducts. At any event the temperaturegradient lwill be upward in the flue or lues 33 along the path ofmovement of the ware as the air is progressively heated in its movementparallel with the ware. Thus the greatest cooling of the ware will occurimmediately adjacent to the entering end of the lehr. Likewise if morethan two passages 40 were provided, any desired one, other than the oneadjacent to the wareentering end of the lehr, could be used to admitcooling air to the flue or nues 33, and the last one used for removal ofsuch cooling air by suitable regulation of the dampers provided in eachpassage 40. All possible combinations of structure shown or suggested bythe foregoing are contemplated by the present invention.

Another possible method of control is that of opening the damper 47 partway and thus admitting some cooling air therethrough, while maintainingthe damper 45 closed, thus causing cooling air to pass into the ue orues 33 through the forward passage 40, also opening the damper 43 tosome extent causing a portion of the gases from the lire box 34 to moveforwardly in the tunnel, and withdrawing both the heating and coolingmedia through the one or more take-01T ducts 40 intermediate the firstone used as the entrance for cooling air and the fire box 34 by suitablecontrol of the dampers 44 therein.

When the upper cooling ues 33 are used for the purpose of reducing thetemperature of ware entering the tunnel to the desired annealingtemperature, it is preferable that there be no additional heat suppliedthrough the lower cooling flue or flues 18. In this event sunicient airis admitted through the dampered opening 19 so that the gases admittedto the flue or iiues 18 are preferably at a temperature slightly belowthat of the ware entering the tunnel. Thus, any heat transmitted betweenthe ware and these gases will pass from the ware to the gases. At thesame time, by maintaining this temperature but slightly below that ofthe ware entering the tunnel, it may be maintained hot enough to controlthe temperature of the ware for the desired annealing, that is for therelease of permanent strains therefrom and subsequently forcontrollingthe rate of cooling of the ware. Also by suitably controlling the amountof gases passing forwardly and rearwardly from the fire box 34 throughthe ue or flues 33, the desired temperature gradient may be insured inthe tunnel for the annealing and cooling of the ware.

Thus, I have illustrated apparatus which may be used in a plurality ofdifferent ways and also suggested certain desirable methods according towhich this apparatus could be used. Obviously, certain changes may bemade in both apparatus and method without departing from the spirit orscope of the present invention. I do not wish to be limited thereforeexcept by the scope of the appended claims, which are to be construed asbroadly as the state of the prior art permits.

I claim:

l. Apparatus for annealing glassware, comprising an elongate tunnel,means for moving articles of glassware therethrough, a longitudinallyextending flue in heat transferring relation with a predetermined zoneof said tunnel adjacent to the ware-entering end thereof, means forsupplying a heating medium to said flue at a point spaced a materialdistance from the Wareentering end of said tunnel, means for supplying acooling medium to said ue adjacentto the ware-entering end of saidtunnel, means for withdrawing media from said flue intermediate thepoints of supply of the heating and cooling media` respectively. andmeans for selectively passing desired volumes of said heating or coolingmedia through at least one zone of said flue intermediate theware-entering end of said tunnel and the point at which the heatingmedium may be supplied to said ue to compensate for differences betweenthe temperature at which the ware arrives at the lehr and apredetermined desired temperature as to direction and amount, so as topresent the ware on its arrival at a predetermined intermediate point inthe lehr at said predetermined desired temperature irrespective of itstemperature on being initially placed in the lehr.

2. The method of annealing glassware which comprises, passing the warethrough an elongate tunnel lehr, preconditioning the ware to bring it toa predetermined desired temperature by passing adjacent thereto but outof Contact therewith a temperature controlling media selected inaccordance with the temperature difference between the temperature ofthe ware as it arrives in the lehr and the desired temperaturethereforpassing other temperature controlling media adjacent to the pathof the ware but out of contact therewith for a substanial part of thelength of the path of travel of the ware through the lehr, andregulating the temperature of the last named media in the rst portion ofits travel adjacent to the path of the ware as it enters the lehr to apoint slightly different from the ware temperature in a correctivedirection, whereby the last named media are usable adjacent tosubsequent portions of the lehr for controlling the temperature gradientof the ware during the annealing and cooling thereof.

HAROLD L. EASTMAN.

